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Top 100 Insurtech Firms 2020: The insurtech graveyard
For every successful start-up, there are many more failures and insurance is no different. Jonathan Swift reflects on some of those that shone brightly for a short time before being buried in the insurtech graveyard.
Insurance Monitor: On the back foot on business interruption
In this month's column, David Worsfold, a long-running commentator on the insurance market, explains why he fears the sector got off on the back foot on its business interruption coronavirus response, what Pandemic Re might look like and what impact the…
Blog: Do insurers risk being relegated to the role of white label cover providers in an era of Amazon and Apple?
As Ikea partners with Swiss Re to enter the household insurance market, the move is yet another step closer to insurance cover becoming part of a wider ecosystem economy, where goods and services are bundled for consumer convenience. Keith Stonell,…
Investment returns push Covéa into profit after underwriting loss
Covéa delivered an underwriting loss of £22.3m in 2019 compared to a profit of £1.8m the year before, with the insurer hit by high levels of motor claims inflation and flat market premiums along with a lower level of reserve releases.
Amanda Blanc to lead government review into flood insurance
Former Zurich and Axa boss Amanda Blanc has been picked to lead a cross-government review into why people did not have enough insurance cover in place during the November 2019 floods and deliver recommendations for future actions.
Insurance Monitor: Act now to start repairing the reputational damage
In this month’s column, David Worsfold, looks at insurers’ reputation as they respond to the coronavirus, at why being flexible is key and what the long-term impacts might be
Analysis: After the flood
Storms Ciara and Dennis hit the UK on 8 and 16 February respectively, contributing to what was the wettest February since 1862. Post looks at the impact of the storms
FCA calls on insurers to show 'flexibility' in dealing with customers amid pandemic
The Financial Conduct Authority has said it expects insurers to show flexibility in dealing with customers affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
FCA delays dual pricing report till June
The Financial Conduct Authority has postponed its final general insurance pricing practices market study report from this quarter to June 2020.
L&G pegs sale of loss making GI business to Allianz at £255m
Legal & General has booked an estimated consideration of £255m for the sale of its general insurance business to Allianz as the division reported an operating loss of £35m for 2019.
Direct Line profits slump under weight of restructuring and Ogden rate
Direct Line’s profits slumped by 12.2% in 2019 as the group incurred the first of a multi-year package of restructuring costs and strengthened reserves in response to the revised Ogden rate.
Pukka owner Freedom Services Group buys Homelyfe
Exclusive: Freedom Services Group has bought insurtech business Homelyfe from Aventus for an undisclosed sum in a deal that closed last week.
Aviva's Andrew Morrish on protecting properties against flood damage
Storms Ciara and Dennis and the floods late last year have brought flooding into the media spotlight yet again, with hundreds of homes and businesses under water, many for the second time in recent years and according to Andrew Morrish, claims director…
Hastings looks to suppliers and fraud detection to staunch claims inflation
Hastings is hoping that investment in its anti-fraud capabilities and supplier partnerships secured in the tail-end of last year will mitigate the impact of claims inflation on its bottom line.
ABI calls for annual government flood defence spending to rise to £1.2bn
Jon Dye, the chair of the Association of British Insurers, has called for government flood defence investment to rise to at least £1.2bn a year.
Blog: Meatballs, Billy Book cases and Hemsaker: Can Ikea make flat pack household insurance a success?
As Ikea teams up with Swiss Re to enter the household insurance market, content director Jonathan Swift reflects on how the Swedish furniture giant could disrupt the sector with its own brand of flat pack cover.
Restructuring costs weigh on Ageas' 2019 profits
Ageas UK saw its profitability slump by 21% last year, reporting full-year profits of £60.3m compared to £76.7m in 2018.
Post Office switches from BGL panel to Ageas home insurance partnership
Post Office Insurance has teamed up with Ageas on an exclusive five-year deal for home insurance.
Blog: Insuring the essential - why assistive technologies should be the next focus for insurers
There are 14 million disabled people living in the UK and, for many, assistive technologies – devices and software that support their day-to-day activity – are a real lifeline writes Johnny Timpson, protection specialist at Scottish Widows.
180 Years of Post - The history of direct insurance in the UK: How Direct Line and Churchill took on the establishment and ended up as merger partners
As Post celebrates 180 years, Post content director Jonathan Swift explores the birth of direct insurance in the UK and how two key early movers Direct Line and Churchill went from rivals to merger bedfellows in a deal that literally 'shook up insurance'.
FSCS reveals £12.4m cost of Qudos and Lamp failures
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has forecast that the failures of Qudos Insurance in December 2018 and Lamp Insurance in May last year will cost £12.4m this financial year.
Go Compare urges 28 day cooling off period for auto-renewals
Go Compare has called for a doubling of the cooling off period for auto-renewals from 14 to 28 days during which time insurers should take “all reasonable steps” to make customers aware their insurance has been auto-renewed.